The Effect of Reference Groups on Purchase Intention: Evidence in Distinct Types of Shoppers and Product Involvement

The extant research has investigated the impact of purchase intention by reference groups in different situations. Nonetheless, a few studies have examined the roles of reference groups (private and public) in the purchase intention of distinctive types of shoppers (utilitarian, social value, and hedonic) and the degree of product involvement (high and low). Drawing from social influence theory, using experimental research, and analysing data with ANOVA, the author reveals in Study 1 that private groups may have greater impact on motivation for both high and low product involvement compared to public groups. Studies 2 and 3 reveal that utilitarian shoppers tend to have higher purchase intention when private groups are used for information cues. On the other hand, reference groups do not affect the purchase intention of social value and hedonic shoppers. This research contributes to social influence theory by revealing that reference groups have a diverse impact on purchase intention under different stimuli.